- The Justice Department removed Nazira Haji Zada to Afghanistan on August 25 after she waived appeal rights.
- Her case became the first completed proceeding before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, created by Congress in 1996.
- Officials linked her to an Election Day 2024 plot; the order was publicly unsealed September 11.
The Justice Department deported Nazira Haji Zada to Afghanistan on August 25, 2026, after she conceded she was an “alien terrorist” in the first completed case before the federal tribunal. Haji Zada, 47, had lived in Fort Worth, Texas.
The agency said Haji Zada agreed to removal and waived her right to appeal. She also waived her right to challenge detention, according to unsealed filings.
The case ended before the tribunal’s authority and the government’s evidence faced a full contested challenge. Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen presided over the proceeding and signed the removal order.
The public announcement came September 11, after Haji Zada had already been returned to her country of origin. The order had been entered weeks earlier.
Attorney General Todd Blanche certified the government’s application and praised the outcome.
“a win for national security and the rule of law.”
Blanche also said, “Those who support and condone terrorism should not be living in the United States, and this first-ever case before the (court) shows how the Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect our country.”
The first proceeding ended before the tribunal faced a contested case
Congress created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court in 1996. It had not been used before Haji Zada’s case.
Five federal judges from different districts serve on the tribunal. The U.S. chief justice appoints them, and Ericksen is its chief judge.
The government says it must prove alien-terrorist status by a preponderance of the evidence in these proceedings. That standard was not tested through a full evidentiary fight here.
Haji Zada’s concessions shortened the case. She waived detention challenges and an appeal, allowing the removal order to take effect without further litigation over those issues.
The proceeding therefore did not produce a contested ruling on the government’s allegations. It also left questions about the tribunal’s authority for later cases.
Her lawyers separated consent from approval
Haji Zada’s attorneys said her agreement to leave the United States should not be treated as acceptance of the tribunal’s legal foundation.
“should not be seen as an endorsement of this court’s legitimacy”
Her agreement included conceding her designation as an “alien terrorist.” It also included a waiver of her right to appeal.
The government’s case thus ended through an agreed removal. The filings did not result in a contested merits decision.
The allegations tied Haji Zada to an Election Day 2024 plot
The agency accused Haji Zada of supporting an ISIS-inspired mass-shooting plot connected to Election Day 2024. Authorities arrested her in July at her Fort Worth home.
Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, and her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, were involved in the broader case. Both men were arrested and convicted in connection with the alleged plot.
Haji Zada was the mother of one man and the mother-in-law of the other. The plans were foiled before any attack took place.
The government has described her as a supporter of the Islamic State. Her removal case relied on the government’s allegation that she supported the alleged plot.
Those allegations were not resolved through a full contested proceeding against her. Her concessions brought the removal process to a close.
The case moved from filing to removal in six weeks
| Date | Procedural event |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2026 | Blanche certified the application, and the government filed it. |
| July 30, 2026 | Haji Zada appeared in open court for the first time before Ericksen. |
| August 20, 2026 | The tribunal issued the removal order; Haji Zada agreed to removal and waived appeal. |
| August 25, 2026 | Haji Zada was removed from the United States to Afghanistan. |
| August 26, 2026 | The agency informed the tribunal that her removal had been completed. |
| September 11, 2026 | The government publicly announced the proceeding after the order was unsealed. |
The application came 15 days before Haji Zada’s first open-court appearance. Her departure followed the order five days later.
The agency disclosed the case only after the removal had occurred. The disclosure identified Haji Zada as the respondent in the first completed proceeding under the dormant tribunal.
The timeline also shows the limited scope of the ruling. The tribunal issued an order, but Haji Zada’s waivers meant it did not have to decide a fully disputed case after weighing opposing evidence.
The government must still establish its case by a preponderance of the evidence when a respondent contests the allegations, according to the agency’s description of the process. Haji Zada’s case did not reach that stage.
Haji Zada is now permanently inadmissible to the United States, according to the department. Officials made that status public on September 11, 2026, after unsealing the order following her return to Afghanistan.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
